Monday 19 March 2012

Surrendering All

None of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” - Luke 14:33  



Judson Van DeVenter could not find direction in his life. Van DeVenter, born on this day in 1855, taught art after attending college. Failing to find satisfaction, he wondered if God wanted him to go into full-time evangelistic work. Yet he continued to struggle.
While conducting a meeting in East Palestine, Ohio, he decided that the only way he could have peace and know God’s will was to surrender his life anew to Jesus. He wrote his decision in the words to a song, called “I Surrender All.”
As he thought about this decision, Van DeVenter wrote, “All to Jesus, I surrender; all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.”
He humbly bowed at Jesus’ feet, ready to forsake “worldly pleasures.” He prayed, “Jesus, take me now.” He asked the Lord to make him “wholly Thine,” that he might feel the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He told Him, “Lord, I give myself to Thee; fill me with Thy love and power; let Thy blessing fall on me.”
With this deep surrender, Van DeVenter discovered that “a new day was ushered into my life.” He became an evangelist and discovered that “God had hidden a song in my heart.” He found direction and peace by obeying the command of Jesus to leave everything else behind. He had surrendered all.
Do you have any struggles? Do you face decisions about your direction? Your future?
You can find your answer by surrendering your life fully to Jesus. Don’t seek your own way, but submit your thoughts, goals, and ambitions to Him. Seek His will and His Kingdom, not your own.
In absolute surrender, you’ll find perfect peace. He will guide you and give you fulfillment and satisfaction. Don’t wait! Do it right now!

Four Keys to Victory




‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight…’ When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.” - Nehemiah 4:14-15  



Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem with a mandate and a call from God: Rebuild the walls. Though the opposition was strong, united, and relentless, in the end he and the Jews were victorious.
How did they succeed? We can point to four keys.

First, they learned the importance of being freed from fear. Second, they realized they could not allow their opposition to intimidate them. Instead, they needed to depend on God. Instead of worrying about threats, they needed to“remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” They had to put their faith in Him.
Third, they needed to demonstrate unwavering determination. Rather than being passive, they had to stand firmly and boldly, even ready to fight. Their opposition was powerful…the threats were real. So the Jews had to be so committed to God that they wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to distract them.
Fourth, they had to be persistent and determined, ready to step out in faith and take action, moving forward to do God’s work with confidence.

These are the same keys to victory in our lives. If you want victory, follow the example set by Nehemiah. Ask God to deliver you from fear. Don’t allow it to cripple you or creep into your thoughts or mind.
Don’t be afraid of any problem, regardless of how threatening it seems. Refuse to be intimidated by anything or anyone. Be prepared to stand for God’s Kingdom, no matter what the cost or what other people might say or do. Don’t just know the Word, but put it into action. 


God’s Special Favor

“By the grace of God I am what I am.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10 


 

Busy, Busy, Busy

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Proverbs 31:30 





Wouldn't it be nice to have everyone think of you whenever Proverbs 31:10-31 was read? At first glance, it may appear that the only thing we have in common with the woman of Proverbs is that we too are really, really busy. Lucille Ball once said, "If you want something done, ask a busy person." Sadly, this is too often true.

Busy seems to be the valued lifestyle today, but what does God have to say about being busy? Recall Jesus' words to Martha during one of his visits: "You are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about" (Luke 10:41-42). While we are busy "doing," are we missing out on the real work God has asked us to do?

Perhaps this woman of Proverbs 31 has more to teach us than just the virtues of staying busy. Looking closely, we see that she isn't really defined by her activities. Rather, this woman is defined by something much more substantial than a busy schedule or a long list of accomplishments.

What do her husband (v. 11), her servants, the poor and the needy (vv. 15, 20), the community (v. 24), and her children (v. 28) find so magnetic about this woman? Her character qualities shine! When we examine our relationships, do we find them to be built on trust, generosity, dependability, and respect? Sometimes it may seem easier to work on our image rather than our relationships, but God wants us to be involved in people's lives, not just busy checking off tasks on a to-do list. It is an honorable goal to use our abilities to accomplish many things. But our larger challenge is to find ways to build healthy relationships while accomplishing worthwhile tasks.

According to verse 30, what is the number one priority of the woman of Proverbs? Fear of the Lord dictates her daily to-do list. This kind of fear is a constructive fear that means acknowledging God's authority and allowing only God to order our lives. Some of us are prone to be people-pleasers, allowing the opinions of others to influence our choices and our moods. We easily forget that God's opinion of us is the only opinion that counts. God values us not because of what we accomplish but because of what he has accomplished for us in Jesus Christ. He wants to channel that same power, love, and grace through us each day. What a wonderful motivator to do our very best! Since our Lord loves us so much, we can relax and live our busy lives confidently and joyfully.